Diesel scandal: Audi planning of further manipulations

In diesel scandal Audi developed further strategies to make his car appear cleaner: BR searches not only the regulatory authorities should be deceived.

By Arne Meyer-five fingers and Josef Streule, BR

Audi wants to leave the Diesel scandal firmly behind him - the power, the company is currently on the automobile salon in Geneva. The Ingolstadt-based car maker relies on electric mobility, and presents four new all-electric models. "We really want to be green," the new Audi CEO Bram Schot at the presentation of the vehicles. However, the diesel scandal is not going to Audi. New Details come to light.

Prüfyzklen of environmental authorities and the ADAC in the sights

According to the BR information in the case of the VW subsidiary, Audi manipulations of the exhaust software is not only designed to lead the regulatory authorities up the garden path. It has also developed a strategy to make vehicles for emission tests by the environmental authorities and the ADAC cleaner appear as in normal operation. This is evident from internal Emails, and presentations from the year 2009, which have been evaluated by BR Research and the ARD-business magazine plus minus.

strategies for the test

Audi considered to manipulate with manipulation software, the results of other test procedures.

Accordingly, the developer to drive in the Audi at the time, a concern: The so-called Artemis trial of the Federal environmental Agency and the Eco-Test ADAC Diesel vehicles, the manufacturer did not perform that well. Therefore, technicians strategies developed, so that the Motor Software recognizes the cycles of the German Federal environment Agency and ADAC on the test bench. Three possibilities were discussed: cycle detection on the basis of the "environmental conditions", a "driving profile identification" or "steering angle detection", so the wording in the Audi documentation.

Decided to have curves, the developers according to the documents, for Driving and steering angle detection. Literally, it means: "In the safe detection of a driving curve: switch to a different EOM" - i.e. a different operating mode. The test drive was over, should be switched to the exhaust gas purifier to "normal operation". In graphics, the experts were, how many seconds ("1000, 1500, 2000") of the respective test mode should be run. Planned implementation of the measure: the model year 2011.

presentation should not fall "into the wrong hands"

In a tabular Overview summarized Audi employees the advantages and disadvantages of the strategies together. Also, the "detection probability" was weighed. The Parties, it was clear that the case was "politically critical". One of the software developers sided against this Background, on 8. In December 2009, a major distributor sent an E-Mail with the warning: "The enclosed presentation, please delete the [...]. The thing must not fall into the wrong hands!"

No comment from Audi

On BR-request, did not want to comment on an Audi spokesman for the operation "because of the ongoing investigation". The ADAC said that he could find after the evaluation of more than 50 readings since 2007, no significant Changes in the period after 2011. Perhaps the company decided because of the risk of detection against the cycle identifier.

The Federal environment Agency wrote to the request, even if the "Artemis"driving cycles have no legal relevance at the time of vehicle registration, be a cycle-detection - if you have in fact occurred morally very questionable.

restart in the shadow of the diesel scandal

Audi can't shake the diesel crisis simply shows the location in Ingolstadt. With 44,000 Employees working in the largest factory of the group. In 2017, they built around 538.000 cars. This year, according to BR-information numbers are made only 441.000 vehicles - nearly 20 percent less than two years earlier, internal plan.

In Ingolstadt Audi builds significantly fewer cars than two years ago.

redundancies are excluded at Audi, until 2025, the new Board wants to reduce staff, and all the layers. Tomorrow Audi will present its annual numbers and the future corporate strategy explain.

More:

Ex-Audi-Manager in the USA 18.01.2019 diesel affair accused: Audi pays 800 million Euro fine, 16.10.2018 Atlas |Germany |Ingolstadt

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